Clarity or Context? Rebalancing Mobile Interaction for Older Adults with Gaze-Zoom-Tap

Older adults often face mobile interaction challenges due to age-related declines. Conventional global magnification enhances legibility but often fragments context and increase physical strain. This study introduces Gaze-Zoom-Tap, a three-stage paradigm integrating gaze-driven selection, dynamic local magnification, and tapping confirmation. We evaluated varying gaze thresholds and magnification rates with 22 elderly participants. Results indicate that a 600 ms threshold with 1.3×/s magnification rate optimized performance, yielding accuracy exceeding 95% and superior usability (score: 82.5) over a non-adaptive interface (score: 66.98). Validation across three age groups (50–59, 60–69 and above 70 years old) confirmed adaptability. Gaze-Zoom-Tap aligns with older adult's “slow focus–deliberate confirmation” interaction patterns, effectively balancing contextual integrity with perceptual clarity while minimizing activation errors and user fatigue.